The Top 20 Worst Excuses for Throwing a Sickie

The Top 20 Worst Excuses for Throwing a Sickie Weve all wanted at one point to just stay in bed and not go into work when our alarm rings through our head in the morning whether it be due to illness, or you just want a day off. However, if you want your sick day request to be accepted, you need a good, honest excuse. Activ Absence recently undertook research amongst HR managers at this years CIPD Annual Conference, and ask them for the worst excuse they had heard to have a day off work. The top five  excuses were: 1) I dont have the bus fare to get to work after my night out: Weve all made the mistake of going out on a work night, but people have actually used their alcoholic intake and inability to purchase bus tickets for not making it in the next day. RELATED: 10 Things to Do on a Productive Commute 2) I dreamed I had come to work, so thought I was there and stayed asleep: No matter how sleepy you are, or how great your dream is, dont use it as a reason to not come into work no-one will believe it without proof. RELATED:  How Can Sleep Affect Your Career? 3) I went on a sunbed and got sunstroke: Yes, youre going on holiday, youve told the whole office, but if youve spent too much time on sunbeds, thats your own fault. 4)  I lost my flipflop down the side of a train, so I had to go home: Firstly, why are you wearing flip flops on the way to work? Secondly, what made you lose your flip flop? Was it the cat? It was the cat, wasnt it? 5)  I didnt have any clean clothes: Come on, you know thats no-ones fault but yours. Also in the list were pet emergencies  with one employee demanding two weeks bereavement leave after the death of his pet cat and another taking a day off because his ‘hamster seemed sluggish’. Exotic animal bites were blamed, as were dogs fouling clothes and eating car keys. Absent minds also featured â€" forgetting where one parked one’s car or losing shoes en route to work always seem to be common excuses. The best excuse of them all, though, was my boss has given me a headache!. The full top 20 excuses read as such: I dont have the bus fare to get to work after my night out. I dreamed I had come to work, so thought I was there and stayed asleep. I went on a sunbed and got sunstroke. I lost my flipflop down the side of a train, so I had to go home. I didnt have any clean clothes. My bed was too nice to get out of. Man Utd lost the premiership. I lost my car in the car park (there were only 20 spaces). My television broke. The roof blew off my house! Goats got into my garden. I have a cotton bud stuck in my ear. Fell out of bed and banged my head. I have post coital soreness. I got bitten by a llama. My dog got lost in the snow. My cat had a miscarriage. The dog urinated on my suit. My dog ate my car keys. I dont think my hamster is well he seems a bit sluggish this morning. Whats the worst excuse youve ever heard? Let us know on Twitter to @UndercoverRec! READ MORE: 10 Sick Day Excuses You Wish Would Fly

Listen Up Gen Y! What NOT To Include On Your Resume

Listen Up Gen Y! What NOT To Include On Your Resume I  thoroughly enjoyed reading your responses to the  crazy things people actually  did in their  interviews. Since this is just too much fun, I found some unbelievable things that people have put on their resumes according to Resumania a Robert Half monthly column.   Rest assured, they didnt get the job!!   I Hope this brings a smile to your Friday!! Referees available on request. Proven ability to track down and correct erors. Experienced in all faucets of accounting. Worked party-time as an office assistant. Work history: Left job because disciplinary actions were taken for showing up late. An obsession for detail; I like to make sure I cross my is and dot my ts. Experience with LBM-compatible computers. I am  a rabid typist. I am loyal to my employer at all costs.   Please feel free to respond to my resume on my office voice mail. Cover letter: Ive updated my resume so its more appalling to employers. My compensation should be at least equal to my age. Happy Friday everyone!! (Photo by Jessica Mullen)

Balancing Work and Life as a Classy Career Girl with Anna Runyan

Balancing Work and Life as a Classy Career Girl with Anna Runyan Todays post is by Carrie Smith at CarefulCents.com. Carries blog  is designed to help thought leaders and driven solopreneurs implement practices and techniques to create more money in less time.   1. Please share a little about your background, your current job and what inspired you to start your “passion project” ClassyCareerGirl.com. I am a blogger and career coach at  ClassyCareerGirl.com. My blog started four years ago when I decided to create an online journal of what I was learning during business school and on the job. I got the idea from a marketing project I was working on where I had to look for blogs that would sell baby clothes company that I was creating a marketing plan for. When I saw other blogs I was like, “Hey! I can do that!” So I started a blog on my next break. For the first year I was anonymous but then when other people started reading, I wanted to be true to who I really was so I decided to put my name and face out there. It was the best decision ever because now I can write about me and who I really am. I am very passionate about helping professional women become happy, successful and balanced. I love helping them nail interviews and find fulfilling jobs they love! 2. Did you always know what you “wanted to be” when you grew up? When did you come to the realization that you wanted to be a career coach for recent grads and young women? When I graduated college I thought I wanted to get into finance and one day become CEO of some company. It wasn’t until I started blogging and interacting with readers did I realize what my passions were which are training and coaching. That is why I recommend blogging because it allows you to explore your passions and become more knowledgeable in your field.  I knew I wanted to be a career coach when all my friends would come to me for job search advice and I would drop whatever I was doing to help them because I loved it. 3. A year ago, you reached an awesome milestone, you and your husband paid off $80,000 in 18 months and are now debt free. What does having debt have to do with your career? Everything. Without debt controlling your life, you can make life and career decisions that really make you happy.  You have nothing hanging over your head nor do you have student loan, credit card and car loan bills piling up to pay. You have savings available for emergencies and you aren’t living paycheck to paycheck wondering if you will ever have the life and career you dreamed of. You also want to ensure that you have good  insurance and that you are saving for retirement. Not having to worry about debt allows your mind to open up so that you can really think about what makes you happy and what you really want to do with your life. That is exactly what happened to me. Read more about how I paid off my debt:  15 Ways I Paid Off $80,000 in 18 Months 4. Do your blogging projects bring in additional income? If so, how long did it take before you started seeing a return on your time investment? What was your motivation to keep going? After four years of blogging, I have income coming in from advertising, courses, and coaching. I think one of the things that has benefited me is that I didnt start blogging to make money. I have learned that a blog won’t make you money. Instead, you have to create services or products around your blog to make money which takes a lot of time and work but it is so much fun to use your creativity and knowledge to make a service or product that someone truly needs. My motivation is that I am helping someone out there with information that she (or he) would not have received before that will help them become successful in their careers. My motivation is the emails I receive from readers who tell me that my blog has helped them and to keep on doing what I do. As long as those keep coming, I won’t stop blogging. 5. As a female who has worked a full-time job and a side hustle, what’s your best tip(s) for other women who are trying to strike the perfect work-life balance? Prioritize and use your nights and weekends wisely. You may not know the latest American Idol information, but who cares. If you want to balance work with the rest of your life, you have to make choices. Stay motivated by posting thank you cards or quotes on your walls. Make sure you have a higher purpose and are loving what you do. If you don’t love your side hustle and if the hours don’t fly by, you might want to re-evaluate your career. 6. I’m an avid reader of career, entrepreneurship and personal finance books. What’s one (or several) must-read books you recommend? Career:  48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg Entrepreneurship:  Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port, The Art of Non-Comformity by Chris Guillebeau Personal Finance:  The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey 7. Of all the topics you talk about on your blog â€" career, office etiquette, professional fashion, and answering questions from readers â€" what is your favorite topic to write about? Why? My favorite blog posts are answering reader questions because it challenges me to learn something new. I am also the most passionate about writing about how to find the right career path and the steps you must do BEFORE you start your job search online. That is probably my favorite topic because most people just jump online without doing the necessary self-assessment needed.  If you dont evaluate yourself first, you will just jump back into another job you hate. It’s like a pattern that I have watched a lot of people do and I want to change that and get professional women into jobs they LOVE early so that they can be happy, perform better and eventually change the world. 8. Please tell us about your new FREE course, Get Your Career Unstuck. What else is  in the works for CCG in the future? Can you give us a sneak peak? My latest project is getting professional women out of jobs they hate and into jobs they love. I am sharing how I got out of my career rut and into a job I love in my free training course and webinar. Lots of fun things ahead! I also started my  Get Ahead Club  in January 2013 which is my  entry-level professional women’s career success community. I started this to give women easy access to bi-weekly interviews with me and some special guest experts on topics related to your career success such as networking, work-life balance, leadership, finding your dream job and navigating office politics. Try the Get Ahead Club for $1. You can expect to see a lot more classy career courses and products in near future! My book, The Professional Womans Guide to Male Management, is also coming out next month. Thanks for the great interview, Carrie!!

5 unexpected health benefits from healthy eating

5 unexpected health benefits from healthy eating We all know how important it is to take care of our health and wellbeing but with many people living a busy lifestyle, it can be tough to find the time needed to get enough exercise and eat the right foods. Making healthy choices on a daily basis takes commitment and when you work all day, have a family to take care of and a household to run, getting an hour of exercise or choosing the healthiest meal option isn’t always possible. There are many consequences to living an unhealthy lifestyle that will have a knock-on effect on numerous aspects of your life. However, it is actually easier than you might think to make healthy choices â€" even in the face of a jam-packed schedule. The best way to get started is to take it step-by-step and make small changes to your everyday life. Check out the top five ways to change your diet to ensure you are eating the right foods to achieve different health goals: Garlic for Antifungal Properties We all know that garlic wards off vampires but did you know it can also provide the body with substantial amounts of antifungal properties? It is also a great source of vitamin B, vitamin C, selenium, iron, potassium and calcium and eating it raw is the best way to get all of the health benefits. However, if you hate the aftertaste of eating raw garlic, try chewing it with some fresh parsley to neutralise the unwelcome taste. Oily Fish Improve your Blood There are many different species of fish that are healthy for you and the best way to cook fish and retain the goodness is to steam it. Sardines, salmon and trout provide the body with lots of omega 3 fats that are good for your blood and joints. This means eating fish rich in omega 3 fats can reduce your chances of having a heart attack and it can also act as a natural antidepressant. Anti-oxidants to Prevent Inner Ear Nerve Damage While eating anti-oxidants has many health benefits, it also gives you a rather unusual health boost as it can reduce the risk of a loss of hearing by around 20% and prevent the need for the use of hearing aids in later life. Broccoli, eggs, beans, asparagus, spinach, nuts and liver are all great foods to eat as an accompaniment with a main meal. Fruit for Fighting Diseases We all know snacking on a piece of fruit is healthier than eating crisps but some fruits offer health boosts beyond that of eating an orange. Blueberries are often referred to as a “super food” and this is because they are full of anti-oxidants, fibre and phytonutrients and these can prevent diseases such as cancer. Strawberries are also great to snack on, as are apples, kiwis, pomegranates and grapefruits, as they provide a variety of health benefits from improving circulation to boosting your vitamin C intake. Avocados for Diabetes Eating avocados can be done at breakfast, lunch, dinnertime and as a snack, making them easy to fit into your regular eating routines. They are rich in vitamins B, K and E and they can lower blood cholesterol levels, as well as help to reduce hypertension and fight diabetes. We all need to take some time out to take care of our health and the best way to get started is to overcome the small obstacles that we too readily use as excuses.

Can Juan Repurpose His Career Part 2 of 4 [Podcast] - Career Pivot

Can Juan Repurpose His Career Part 2 of 4 [Podcast] - Career Pivot Episode 84: Marc works with “Juan,” (not his real name) to pivot his career, in the second of four episodes featuring “Juan.” Description: In Part 2 of this series, Marc covers the second half of a feedback session with Juan about his personality assessment. Quick Note: Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Get more information and sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has four initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life. They are guiding him on what to build. He will start recruiting members for the fifth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, mastermind groups, and a community where you can seek help. Now on to the podcast… Download Link |iTunes|Stitcher Radio|Google Podcast|Podbean|TuneIn|Overcast Key Takeaways: [1:12] Marc welcomes you to Episode 84 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast and invites you to share this podcast with others. Please subscribe, share it on social media, write an honest iTunes review, or tell your neighbors and colleagues. [1:40] Last week’s episode was part one of a four-part series called “Can Juan Repurpose His Career?” Juan is in his mid-fifties, a former school teacher, technology trainer, adjunct professor, and multipotentialite. Juan is trying to figure out what is next. [2:04] This episode covers the second half of the first feedback session Marc held with Juan. If you haven’t listened to the first half of the feedback session, please stop and listen to it on episode 83, presented last week, before listening to the rest of this episode. [2:13] You will find all the reports used in this four-episode series at CareerPivot.com/Juan. You may pause the podcast now to download the reports. [2:27] After today’s episode, Marc will take a two-week break in the “Can Juan Repurpose His Career?” series, first, with an interview with Denise King and then a report on the Miller family’s pivot to Mexico. Then Marc will present Parts Three and Four of this series, “Can Juan Repurpose His Career?” [3:00] Marc directs Juan to the organizational piece of the Birkman Assessment. First comes Juan’s attention to detail. Juan is systematic and process-driven. He likes an environment that’s predictable. He values policies and rules. Juan doesn’t do well in chaos. He is reassured by having a predictable income and stressed without one. [5:52] Juan’s causes of stress are pressure to change his plan of action, and too much attention to details. Juan’s stress reactions are a de-emphasis on systems and being over-controlling. [6:34] Juan’s assertiveness score: positions of command and control appeal to Juan. Juan is satisfied by giving and carrying out definite, clear-cut directions. Juan organizes, initiates, and carries out his own activities and the activities of others. Juan is self-assertive, enjoys directing others, and seeks to influence and excel. [7:46] Marc notes that Juan’s emotional side probably gives him a softer touch in dealing with people, even when being direct. [8:24] Juan needs to know that authority is being exercised in a fair and effective manner. Both the dictator boss and the weak boss will drive Juan “crazy.” [9:34] Juan responds adversely to people who are extreme in handling authority. He will either back off or become argumentative. [10:10] Restlessness, or seeking varied activities, is the next trait discussed. Juan is always ready to start new things and enjoys handling a variety of task at the same time. Juan’s assets are adaptability, responsiveness, and attentiveness. Juan tends very much to be a catalyst to change. He is easy to stimulate, flexible, and attentive. [11:33] Juan’s surroundings should provide a balance of variety and novelty with ample opportunity for him to change his activities. He left school because it was monotonous and devoid of anything creative. [12:58] Juan may find it more and more difficult to discipline himself as changes are imposed upon him. His strengths are related to the extent to which he has control over his daily routine. [14:33] Juan is resistant to abrupt change and annoyed at delays. [15:08] The next topic is time management and decision-making. Juan is energetic, enthusiastic, and vigorous. His natural high energy level leads him to take on many activities and projects, making it easy to neglect rest and relaxation. For optimum performance, he needs time for re-energizing. [16:55] In Juan’s career, he has found himself at full steam and going at high power until he was exhausted and needed to take a break now and then. His high incentive score leads him to compete for the reward. Marc asks him to read Quiet, by Susan Cain. Susan comes up with the idea for restorative niches. This is a tip for introverts. [18:30] Juan should schedule in restorative niches, or ten-minute breaks he can take during the day to do a quick activity he enjoys. [19:38] Marc talks about how, at conferences, he took breaks away from the group, and even went out for dinner by himself. [21:05] In hurried situations where Juan does not have the opportunity to think through a process, he is likely to feel rushed and less-effective. He likes to consider all the possibilities. It took him a month to buy a laptop. He describes making the decision. [24:50] Juan worries about his decision-making about big decisions. [25:35] Situations that require quick and decisive action make Juan feel hurried and rushed. Making decisions when he is not ready is very stressful for him. [26:42] Juan’s stress reactions are over-concern for consequences, postponing decisions, and anxiety. He can procrastinate. [27:04] Marc gives Juan an assignment. Juan needs to remember events when he went into stress and analyze them. What was stressing him? Then he wants Juan to put these into 8-15 statements and distill them into a narrative about himself. [28:24] Marc explains that Juan can perform this exercise with any of the assessments using the strengths finder. [28:48] The next feedback session (in three weeks) will cover Juan’s preferred management workstyles, how he fits in the corporate workstyle, how he fits in society, and how he makes decisions. [29:57] Juan is a global conceptual thinker. He is creative in his decision-making. The more you understand how you think, the more you will see how other people think differently. Marc talks about the next assignment. Juan needs to consider three problems he solved in his personal life and three problems he solved at work. [31:21] Juan will do his homework and then schedule his next session with Marc. Marc wants Juan to be able to explain his decision-making process to potential employers. Meanwhile, he is learning classroom education is not for him. [32:12] In a couple of months, we will do this again with Sarah. Sarah is a creative who has managed to stuff her creative streak in her career. She is a square peg. [34:10] Check back next week, when Marc will air the interview when Denise King interviewed Marc during the “Escape the Corporate World, Now” summit. Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com Careerpivot.com/Juan CareerPivot.com/Episode-83 “Can Juan Repurpose His Career? Part 1” CareerPivot.com/Episode-84 “Can Juan Repurpose His Career? Part 2” Birkman Assessment Reports used in the Feedback Session with Juan Doe CareerPivot.com/Episode-48 “Can Tim Repurpose His Career? Part 1” Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on the iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon. CareerPivot.com/Episode-84 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment â€" go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there. Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Creating a Vision for Your Career - CareerAlley

Creating a Vision for Your Career - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Creating a vision for your career is all about finding a direction you want to go in, and then sticking with it until you reach your goal. Many people have a very limited view of their career which seems to come from a lack of imagination, but that may only be half of the story. One of the biggest reasons for a lack of vision and direction seems to be attributable to people being shown no real options. No inspiration comes from job listings A person checks job listings to see a multitude of high turnover jobs. These jobs usually include retail jobs, service industry, secretarial work and care home jobs. The range and variety of the jobs you see in vacancy listings are very limited. Careers advisors are no help They only show you a very limited view of the world, and never propose anything original or engaging. If a person expresses a love for biology, they are told to be a doctor, if they express people skills they are told to be a supervisor. How can we have vision and direction if we cannot see where to go? Nobody has ever come up with a list of all the jobs types available on the planet. Many people have no vision in their career because they have no idea of the types of jobs they are able to do. People see TV shows with actors and actresses and may consider a life as an actor, but what they do not see are the multitude of jobs surrounding that industry, such as lighting, visual effects, continuity staff, PR staff, producers, sound staff, technical staff, makeup staff, promoters, personal assistants, etc. If we do not know what jobs are available in real life, then how are we ever to gain enthusiasm for working in them? How do you know you will like it? This is a question that may only be answered through trying job, but this is not always practical. Therefore, to gain any sort of career vision you are going to have to have a taste of each aspect of a job. For example if you want to be a director, you could hire a camera and have a try at making a low budget movie. If you wish to be a bathroom tiler, then buy a few tools and have a try on a flat unused wall surface. If you wish to be a writer then try creating essay writing service reviews online. Ask yourself some questions and try to find jobs that match your answers For example, do you prefer working in the morning, evening or night-time? Do you prefer to lead a team, work in a team or work independently? Do you want a job with lots of people or lots of solitude? Are you prepared to work a job you hate in order to pay for the education to work a job you will love? Do you want to work in a city or a village? The article was contributed by whowritesbest.com writer. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook

Jobs With Resume Writing Companies

Jobs With Resume Writing CompaniesWhen you are seeking to increase your level of employment with resume writing companies, there are several things that you need to be aware of. The first thing that you need to be aware of is that when you have a resume that is written professionally, you are going to have a much higher chance of being hired than when you have an unprofessional resume that was done by a friend. The second thing that you need to be aware of is that the only way that you are going to be able to find jobs with resume writing companies is if you make sure that you do the work required. This is something that is not something that you can take lightly and it is something that will take some time to learn about and it is something that you have to make sure that you keep in mind at all times.There are several different places that you can look for work when you are looking for work through resume writing companies. You can go to different local companies, you can go to pro fessional sites such as Monster or Careerbuilder or you can simply go to the internet. Depending on how many jobs you are looking for and how many positions you are interested in will dictate what option you should choose.If you are looking for work through local companies, then you are going to need to look in several different places to get the most accurate results. The best place to go to when you are looking for work through local companies is the phone book or Yellow Pages because these will include several local businesses and will give you the best chances of success.The next place that you can look when you are looking for jobs with resume writing companies is online. While there are not as many jobs available through the internet as there are through the phone book or Yellow Pages, the internet is still a very valuable resource because the ability to gain access to thousands of resumes from a variety of companies is very valuable and is something that will give you a great er chance of finding a job.The next thing that you should do when you are looking for jobs with resume writing companies is to look in the newspaper for listings. This is another resource that you can use to find jobs but is not the same as using the internet or local companies.You can also search for jobs through resume writing companies online. Some of the best companies online are Career Builder and Monster because these are the two main resume writing companies that will allow you to submit your resume for free.Once you have completed your resume and sent it to the company you are interested in working for, the resume writer will contact you and get back to you within one business day. This is something that you have to remember because it will allow you to improve your chances of getting hired and to make sure that you get the first call that you get.Resume writing companies are not a waste of time and you can find employment when you do the work necessary. Just make sure that you take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you.